Thank you to our partners... Headline Partners Gold Partners Silver Partners Bronze Partners Contents 1 Co-Chairs introduction Page 3 2 Looking backwards – moving forwards Page 6 3 Community Engagement Page 8 4 Volunteer Engagement Page 10 5 Operations Page 15 6 Pride Festival Page 18 7 Accessibility Page 20 8 Marketing Page 22 9 Communications Page 24 10 Stages Page 28 11 Finances Page 30 12 Fundraising Page 33 13 Strategic Partnerships Page 34 14 Strategic Priorities 2020 Page 38 1 2 Introduction from our Co-Chairs Twenty-nineteen was a significant moment for the Pride movement worldwide. It was a chance to take stock and consider what had been achieved since the moment a group of queer, trans, lesbian, bi and gay people took a stand, 50 years ago, at the Stonewall Inn, New York City, and said ‘enough is enough – we will not be harassed by the police any more. We will gather and socialise like everyone else’. It was also a year for Pride in London to build on our work to date, listening to the communities we serve, reacting to feedback and improving the event. Pride in London is one of the largest Pride events in the world – we are also the largest free Pride in the UK. We start each year with the same challenges and needs: for incredibly detailed operational plans that will keep everyone safe, whilst also closing Europe’s busiest shopping streets; funding to stage London’s third largest annual one day event and recruiting a team of dedicated and passionate volunteers to make the magic happen. We want to thank our new Headline Partner, Tesco, our production company Innovision, and all the agencies we deal with and who support us, not least the Metropolitan Police. What the team then does is incredible. As the Co-Chairs we want to thank everyone who has been involved – you are the spirit of the Pride movement. All of Alison Camps FRSA us who give time, sweat and tears carry the flame of the Pride movement, passed Co-Chair down by those original campaigners for change. It’s a precious thing and as we look at a more uncertain and frightening world we must continue to gather as a large eclectic and diverse community, shoulder to shoulder with our allies bringing focus to the issues that matter to us, showing solidarity with people who still don’t enjoy the same rights and protections, and ensuring that people coming out for the first time feel that they are part of something supportive and great. It is also important that we are mindful of other challenges in the world. We have worked hard to ensure our events are as accessible as possible, and we are proud to have retained Gold accreditation from Attitude is Everything, introduced a World Area, increased the scale of our Women’s Stage and Family Area and this year added our voice to those declaring a climate change emergency. Those people who took a stand outside Stonewall wanted two things: the Michael Salter-Church MBE freedom to be themselves and equality with others. So, our volunteers took the Co-Chair Golden Jubilee and subverted it to mark the Queer Revolt. Our campaign wasn’t just intended to reflect the past; it was also to galvanise people into action. 2019 was a year when we saw LGBT+ rights go backwards in countries such as Brunei, there was more open hostility towards the community in the USA, brutal treatment of people continued in Chechnya, teargas was used against those trying to march in Turkey and Poland, and those organising pride in Tbilisi received death threats. At the time of Pride, there had still been no move on extending equal marriage to Northern Ireland - although that has since happened (perhaps in part spurred on by the chanting of the crowds at Pride who demanded action). 2019 was also the year that saw picketing of primary schools where brave teachers continued to do the right thing and teach about the diversity of modern life in the UK. Two lesbians were attacked on a bus in London because of their relationship. The trans community continued to suffer from hatred, often spurred on by ill-informed commentators or even from those who have lost sight of the fact that the real threat to equality isn’t from within the LGBT+ community but from outside. Across the world people are still being killed, tortured, locked-up, subject to ‘corrective rape’, bullied, intimidated, forced out of jobs, driven out of communities, banished from homes and ostracised from families, subjected to treatment that none of us would ever want to witness or experience. Yet this is 2019. And this is why Pride events still matter, to draw attention to these issues and bring people together. However, amongst the bleak stories there were also glimmers of light and hope: India repealed old Imperial rules, Taiwan introduced equal marriage, more LGBT+ athletes came out and took an active stand, the UK staged more Pride events including BiPrideUK and a number of Trans Prides and record numbers came out to show support and participate at Pride in London. 3 This year was also the 20th anniversary of the bombings comms stalwarts; from the operations gurus to those that in Brixton, Brick Lane and at the Admiral Duncan in Soho coordinate what is now the world’s biggest LGBT+ Festival; – where three people died. Family and friends of those who from the Community Advisory Board to the team that ran were killed or injured joined us in the Parade and Pride our Pop Up Shop in Seven Dials, to those that look after volunteers stood side-by-side with a members of the the welfare of our volunteers and keep them informed; community at a vigil organised by Mark Healey and the from the IT and app developers to the team looking after 17-24-30 charity, named after the attacks. our Partners; from the community engagement team to those that ensure we are also the most accessible Pride in London’s mission continues to be as critical today Pride in the country; from us two Co-Chairs to all the as it was in 2013. We will continue to stand up against the Directors, volunteers, backers, supporters, performers (especially Saraa Alto who gave us the official Pride song voices of intolerance and hatred, we will use our platform this year, proceeds from which go to supporting our to amplify voices in our community, we will work to ensure work), contributors, sponsors, fundraisers, advocates and Pride galvanises us into action because change is still friends of Pride in London a huge thank you. And this year required both in the UK and abroad. The battle for hearts we also want to pay a special tribute to two members of and minds is not over – we still need those risk-takers, the Board that have retired, leaving us in a far stronger rule-breakers and change-makers. For this great global position than we were when they joined: David Bloomfield city is at its best when most open and accepting, when who has been our Finance Director almost from the start harnessing the talents of all its people and enabling them of Pride in London in 2013 and has contributed in so many all to live lives of equal dignity and respect. ways throughout the years – he rolled up his sleeves and got on with things. And to Asad Dhunna who has been our As we look ahead towards our fiftieth anniversary in 2022, Communications Director for the past couple of years, we will be looking at what we can do better and trialling professionalising what we do, sharpening our response new things. We’re a team full of ideas. We will also ensure and bringing unique insights to Pride that has positively we continue to focus on people who may find it harder to challenged what we do and made us better for it. Thank access the Pride event. We are proud to have welcomed you both. We also want to thank Commander David younger people to our event this year, both in the Parade Musker who has led the policing of our event for the past and with an expanded family area. few years, 2019 was his last working with us and we’ll miss his common sense, support and humour. So we want to thank those involved from the stewards on the day, to the finance and legal teams; from the Michael Salter-Church MBE & Alison Camps FRSA fundraisers and gala dinner team, to the marketing and Co-Chairs 4 5 Looking backwards – moving forward In 2018 we set 10 priorities for the 2019 event and having been through our post event reviews we’ve asked ourselves whether we achieved them. We will review and enhance event security This year the Parade passed off peacefully with our delivery partners and develop new and groups who wished to ‘protest’ for a processes to ensure to the best of our ability cause were able to join it at the end. It’s a that the Parade is a safe and welcoming huge challenge balancing safety, resources place for those who share the values of and rights and we think we did better this Pride in London. year than last. We have strengthened the Volunteer Engagement Team and they are working to We will work to achieve greater inclusivity improve our internal engagement in order into our culture, both in terms of our structure that everyone in the team feels able to and the delivery of Pride in London.